The story of the Essex is one of those examples of fact being stranger than fiction. Commanded in 1819-1820 by the young and newly promoted Captain George Pollard Jr, the ship was notoriously attacked and sunk by a gigantic sperm whale in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, forcing the sailors to board the small whalers and survive upon the vast expanse of sea for several months. A tale of ill luck, personality clashes, man .vs. nature and survival by cannibalism, it inspired the first mate (and one of the few participants to emerge from the experience alive) to write a book entitled 'Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-Ship Essex', which in turn inspired a certain chap named Herman Melville to write his enduring classic Moby Dick.
In 1819, the whale-ship Essex leaves Nantucket under the command of newly promoted captain George Pollard Jr (Adam Rayner). The youngest member of the crew is 14 year old Tom Nickerson (Charles Furness), attempting to find his way in life by pursuing a career on the high seas. The first mate is Owen Chase (Jonas Armstrong), who has sailed with Pollard before in a different capacity, but finds his captain indecisive and ill-judged over many matters. The journey starts badly, with the ship failing to find whales; food and water being strictly rationed; and grumblings of mutiny making themselves heard among the crew. They head out into the central Pacific to improve their luck, and things seem to be working out when they immediately come across whales. However, a sperm whale rams the ship after its mate is killed by the sailors; the ship sinks and the survivors are forced to board their tiny whaleboats to stay alive. They drift upon the sea for many weeks, finding land in the shape of the uninhabitable Henderson Island. When it becomes apparent the island cannot support life, they have to once more put to sea to stay alive. Ultimately, they have to resort to cannibalism when their scarce food supplies run out altogether. Only a handful of the original survivors make it to safety after several months of desperate suffering and hardship.
As true stories go, this one is as remarkable as it is grim. The performances are pretty good, and the details of life at sea seem to be captured with a solid level of authenticity. The personality clashes among the crew – especially the stormy relationship between Captain Pollard and his First Mate, Owen Chase – are nicely delineated. Since the film is called The Whale, one would expect the whale itself to be more integral to the story a better title may have been The Essex or The Whale-Ship. Yes, the whale is responsible for the sinking of the ship, and yes, it ominously follows the sailors throughout their ordeal, but overall the film focuses much more on the survival of the sailors, and the extremes to which they go to stay alive. The whale itself has little direct bearing upon the narrative. The latter part of the film, detailing the sailors' extraordinary adventures aboard their little whalers once their ship has gone down, is exceptionally well done – harrowing, terrifying and utterly convincing. The film doesn't really dwell too long on the moral complexities of turning to cannibalism to stay alive, nor does it explore the effect of this extreme course of action on the characters. It's presented more as a straightforward account, tastefully done in the parts where it could have been quite sensationalised and gruesome, and overall a very respectable little TV movie which is well worth a look.
In 1819, the whale-ship Essex leaves Nantucket under the command of newly promoted captain George Pollard Jr (Adam Rayner). The youngest member of the crew is 14 year old Tom Nickerson (Charles Furness), attempting to find his way in life by pursuing a career on the high seas. The first mate is Owen Chase (Jonas Armstrong), who has sailed with Pollard before in a different capacity, but finds his captain indecisive and ill-judged over many matters. The journey starts badly, with the ship failing to find whales; food and water being strictly rationed; and grumblings of mutiny making themselves heard among the crew. They head out into the central Pacific to improve their luck, and things seem to be working out when they immediately come across whales. However, a sperm whale rams the ship after its mate is killed by the sailors; the ship sinks and the survivors are forced to board their tiny whaleboats to stay alive. They drift upon the sea for many weeks, finding land in the shape of the uninhabitable Henderson Island. When it becomes apparent the island cannot support life, they have to once more put to sea to stay alive. Ultimately, they have to resort to cannibalism when their scarce food supplies run out altogether. Only a handful of the original survivors make it to safety after several months of desperate suffering and hardship.
As true stories go, this one is as remarkable as it is grim. The performances are pretty good, and the details of life at sea seem to be captured with a solid level of authenticity. The personality clashes among the crew – especially the stormy relationship between Captain Pollard and his First Mate, Owen Chase – are nicely delineated. Since the film is called The Whale, one would expect the whale itself to be more integral to the story a better title may have been The Essex or The Whale-Ship. Yes, the whale is responsible for the sinking of the ship, and yes, it ominously follows the sailors throughout their ordeal, but overall the film focuses much more on the survival of the sailors, and the extremes to which they go to stay alive. The whale itself has little direct bearing upon the narrative. The latter part of the film, detailing the sailors' extraordinary adventures aboard their little whalers once their ship has gone down, is exceptionally well done – harrowing, terrifying and utterly convincing. The film doesn't really dwell too long on the moral complexities of turning to cannibalism to stay alive, nor does it explore the effect of this extreme course of action on the characters. It's presented more as a straightforward account, tastefully done in the parts where it could have been quite sensationalised and gruesome, and overall a very respectable little TV movie which is well worth a look.